Negroni

Add to this list the Americano, a cocktail made with sweet vermouth and Campari (the bitter Italian aperitif). Popular in Italy during the late 19th century, the drink gained a sibling in 1919, when Count Camillo Negroni marched up to a bar in Florence (either Caffè Giacosa or Casconi Bar; no one can agree on which it was) and asked for an Americano with a kick. It's unclear whether the Count specified gin or if that suggestion came from the bartender. Regardless, the addition improves on the original cocktail by introducing the happy coupling of gin and vermouth, a perfect duo on its own, to Campari. Without the gin, the drink is almost too fiery — and yet you need Campari's bitter edge to yank the syrupy sweetness of vermouth back from the brink of cloying. Think of these ingredients as a love triangle.

Even with gin as conciliator, the drink can startle those hoping for something subdued, but its ferocity draws loyal fans. Still, because everyone has a different notion of what's too bitter, feel free to play with the Negroni's proportions, so long as they remain around equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth.